Community Readiness Model

In the Community Readiness Model, communities are motivated by the difference between current health situations
or behaviors and the desire to reach a goal. Community readiness refers to how prepared the community is to take
action to address a particular health issue.

There are several stages in community readiness. These stages are:

Absence of awareness – the community does not recognize the health issue.

Denial or resistance – there is little recognition or concern among community members about the health
issue.

Vague awareness – the community may be concerned about the health issue, but the motivation to address it is
low.

Pre-planning – the community recognizes that action is needed, but there is a lack of focused activity around
the health issue.

Preparation – leaders in the community begin to plan and support approaches to addressing the health
issue.

Initiation – the community begins activities to address the health issue.

Stabilization – the community activities are supported by administrators and other community leaders.

Confirmation/expansion – activities have been implemented and the community is comfortable with addressing
the health issue.

High level of community ownership – data are being gathered that support the efforts, and the approach may
be replicated in other communities.

Implementation Considerations

The Community Readiness Model is issue-specific because community readiness varies depending on the health topic
being addressed. Community readiness also varies depending on the factors that influence health, such as
knowledge, leadership, and resources. The Community Readiness Model is useful for identifying approaches for
addressing new health issues, when looking to involve different segments or sub-populations of the community,
for identifying approaches to sustain an ongoing effort, and for community planning.

Resources to Learn More

Community Readiness for Community
Change
Document
Overview of the nine stages of community readiness and also includes the assessment of readiness and the process
for conducting a community readiness assessment.Organization(s): TriEthnic Center at Colorado State University
Date: 2014

Community
Readiness
Website
Describes what community readiness is, why we use it, when it should be used, who should be involved and how to
apply the model.Organization(s): Community Tool Box

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